# Choiaella

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{{Short description|Extinct genus of sponges}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Chengjiang|Llandovery|ref=<ref name=Botting2007/>}}
| image = Choiaella radiata (Mass Extinctions-BIG FIVE).jpg
| image_caption = †''Choiaella radiata''
| taxon = Choiaella
| authority = Rigby & Hou, 1995<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Rigby|first1=J. K.|last2=Hou|first2=X.-G.|year=1995|title=Lower Cambrian demosponges and hexactinellid sponges from Yunnan, China|journal=[Journal of Paleontology](/source/Journal_of_Paleontology)|volume=69|issue=6|pages=1009–1019|doi=10.1017/S0022336000037999|jstor=1306406|bibcode=1995JPal...69.1009R |s2cid=133542014 }}</ref>
| type_species = †''Choiaella radiata''
| type_species_authority = Rigby & Hou, 1995
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = * †''Choiaella radiata'' <small>Rigby & Hou, 1995</small>
* †''Choiaella scotica'' <small> M. S. Beresi, J. P. Botting, E. Clarkson, 2010</small>
}}
'''''Choiaella''''' is an [extinct](/source/Extinction) genus of [sea sponge](/source/sea_sponge) that belongs to the family [Choiidae](/source/Choiidae). This genus lived from the [Early Cambrian](/source/Early_Cambrian) to the [Early Silurian](/source/Llandovery_Epoch) period having a near global distribution.<ref name="Botting2007">{{Cite journal| pages = 737–748| year = 2007| doi = 10.1016/j.geobios.2007.02.006| first1 = J.| volume = 40| title = 'Cambrian' demosponges in the Ordovician of Morocco: Insights into the early evolutionary history of sponges| journal = [Geobios](/source/Geobios)| last1 = Botting| issue = 6    | bibcode = 2007Geobi..40..737B}}</ref><ref name=":0">Botting, Joseph. (2021). Hexactins in the ‘protomonaxonid’ sponge Choiaella and proposal of Ascospongiae (class nov.) as aformal replacement for the Protomonaxonida. Bulletin of Geosciences. 96. 10.3140/bull.geosci.1823. </ref>

== Taxonomy ==
The genus was described by [J. Keith Rigby](/source/J._Keith_Rigby) and [Hou Xian-Guang](/source/Hou_Xian-guang) in 1995 with ''Choiaella radiata'' being the [type species](/source/type_species). 

This genus currently contains four described species. They are listed below:

#''Choiaella'' ''hexactinophora'' <small>J. P. Botting, 2021<ref name=":0" /></small>
#''Choiaella'' ''ovata'' <small>Yang, Zhao & Wu, 2003</small><ref name=":2">Yang, X., Zhao, Y., & Wu, W. (2003). ''Discovery of the early and middle cambrian choiidae from guizhou, sw china''. ''21''(1), 286–295. <nowiki>https://europepmc.org/article/CBA/544018</nowiki></ref>
#''Choiaella radiata'' <small>Rigby & Hou, 1995</small> ([type species](/source/type_species))
#''Choiaella scotica'' <small>M. S. Beresi, J. P. Botting, E. Clarkson, 2010<ref name=":1">Botting, Joseph & Clarkson, Euan. (2010). A new demosponge, Choiaella scotica, from the Caradoc (Ordovician) of Wallace's Cast, Southern Uplands. Scottish Journal of Geology - SCOT J GEOL. 46. 77-83. 10.1144/0036-9276/01-387.</ref></small>
It is closely related to the genera ''[Choia](/source/Choia)'' and ''[Allantospongia](/source/Allantospongia)''. The genus represents an intermediate stage with the gradual loss of triaxons from more basal sponge groups such as [Leptomitidae](/source/Leptomitidae) and basal [ascosponge](/source/ascosponge) to more derived genera such as [Hanptonia](/source/Hanptonia), [Halichondrites](/source/Halichondrites) and [Pirania](/source/Pirania).<ref name=":2" />

== Distribution ==
This genus first appears during the early Cambrian being found in the [Sirius Passet Biota](/source/Sirius_Passet) of [Greenland](/source/Greenland), the [Chengjiang Biota](/source/Chengjiang_Biota) and [Niutitang Biotas](/source/Niutitang_biota), both from of [Southern China](/source/South_China). During the [Ordovician period](/source/Ordovician), fossils of ''Choiaella'' are found in [Wales](/source/Wales) ([Early Ordovician](/source/Early_Ordovician)), the [Fezouata Biota](/source/Fezouata_Formation) of [Morocco](/source/Morocco) ([Middle Ordovician](/source/Middle_Ordovician)) and [Wallace’s Cast](/source/Wallace%E2%80%99s_Cast), [Scotland](/source/Scotland) ([Late Ordovician](/source/Late_Ordovician)). The [early Silurian](/source/early_Silurian) has the occurrence of ''Choiaella'' being found in the [Fentou Biota](/source/Fentou_formation) of South China. Due to the fossils of ''Choiaella'' being difficult to describe taxonomically, it is possible that species belonging to this genus can be found much more widely.<ref name=":0" />

== Description ==
thumb|Artistic reconstruction of Choiaella radiata.|left
Members of this genus are small sponges having a discoidal or low broad [obconical](/source/Obconic) shape. The skeleton of ''Choiaella'' is composed of a longitudinal thatch of small monaxons generally on one continuous size range that are probably oxeas. The spicules of ''Choiaella'' may be bundles locally but they don’t extend beyond the edge of the disc other than as minor fringes.<ref name=":0" />

=== ''Choiaella'' ''hexactinophora'' ===
''Choiaella'' ''hexactinophora'' lived during the Middle Ordovician period. It was described in 2021 by [Joseph P. Botting](/source/Joseph_Botting) from specimens collected in the [Castle Bank](/source/Castle_Bank) fossil deposits located in [Wales](/source/Wales). It was flat being slightly ovoid. It was fine-spiculed. This species was used to help support the creation of a new taxonomic [class](/source/Class_(biology)) of sponges, [Ascospongiae](/source/Ascospongiae). It also showed that spicules in sponges evolved separately in each class.<ref name=":2" />

=== ''Choiaella scotica'' ===
''Choiaella scotica'' lived in the [Southern Uplands](/source/Southern_Uplands) of [Scotland](/source/Scotland) during the Ordovician period.<ref name="Botting2007" /> It was described in 2010 by ''[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249558094_A_new_demosponge_Choiaella_scotica_from_the_Caradoc_Ordovician_of_Wallace's_Cast_Southern_Uplands (Beresi et al. 2010)]'' based on two specimens that were held in the collections at the [National Museums of Scotland](/source/National_Museums_Scotland).<ref name=":1" />

== Ecology ==
''C. radiata'' coexisted [sympatric](/source/sympatric)ally with sponge genera such as ''[Choia](/source/Choia)'' and ''[Allantospongia](/source/Allantospongia)''.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q5104001}}

Category:Maotianshan shales fossils
Category:Protomonaxonida
Category:Silurian extinctions
Category:Cambrian first appearances
Category:Prehistoric sponge genera
Category:Fossil taxa described in 1995
Category:Paleozoic sponges

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Choiaella](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choiaella) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choiaella?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.